In the Groove
While most of the genre seems to be controlled by Konami’s DDR franchise, it’s nice to see other developers taking an interest in these types of games. Red Octane, who also makes dance pad accessories, seems like a natural choice to publish an alternative rhythm game. In the Groove features several ideas that separate it from the rest of the pack and take the dancing game one step further.
Gameplay:
First off, I have to confess to being born with two left feet. It’s a birth defect that I’m not proud of, so chances are good that you’ll never see me out on the dance floor or in the arcade playing a dancing game. For white boys like me that have absolutely no coordination, games like In the Groove are a godsend because I can make an ass out of myself without ever leaving home. Just be sure that you move any breakable furniture before you start playing since this game not only makes you use your feet, but also your hands.
After you get your exercise gear on (80’s style headband and spandex – check) it’s time to fire up In the Groove and see what separates it from the rest of the pack. Right off the bat you will notice the vast amount of customization and options that you can tinker with in this game. Everything from varying difficulty settings, speed variations and even tricky as hell modifiers can be adjusted to your hearts content. For newbies to the dancing genre it will seem very daunting at first, but for old pros you’ll instantly dig exploring all of your options.
For those of you wondering exactly how In the Groove makes things more difficult, let me shed some light on that. The difficulty settings range from Novice (as easy and basic as it gets) all the way to Expert (gut wrenchingly difficult) and depending on your experience you’ll find one that suits you just fine. If you happen to be thinking that this is a dance game and all you have to do is step on the appropriate arrow at the right time, think again.
In the Groove tosses in some mean combinations that involve coordinated jumping onto multiple directions and they even toss in the need to use hands to touch arrows along with your feet. As far as a dancing game is concerned the action here is extremely frenetic and sometimes it feels like your playing digital twister. This may appeal to DDR fans looking for something different, but it may also put off newcomers to this game style because frankly, it can be excruciatingly difficult at times.
As you play, the game will keep track of a score for you and rate you at the very end when you complete a song. You are graded depending on your timing and how many combos you string together. You will also notice a life meter on the side of the screen; this basically is an indicator during gameplay to show you how you are doing and if you will pass that particular stage.
Aside from the main Dance mode, the game also features a Battle mode where you can square off against a buddy, a Fitness mode where the game keeps track of how many calories you burn and a Marathon mode that bombards you with song after song without a break. It really depends on what type of experience you are looking to get out of the game and even though it feels geared towards more veteran players there are plenty of handholding options for newcomers.
Graphics:
While the action can get pretty intense, the visuals of In the Groove are depressingly bland. Sure it’s only a dancing game and the screen is constantly filled with arrows that tie into the gameplay, but the backgrounds are pure ambient blandness. If you’ve ever fired up Window’s Media Player on your computer before and watched the swirling lights and colors that go in time to the beat that’s about the extent that you’ll see with this game. It’s a visual look that works with this style of game, but it’s not very attractive.
Audio:
One nice thing about In the Groove is that it features a slew of songs (70) and a wide variety of musical styles, the only problem is that none of these are really licensed so don’t expect to hear any music you already know and enjoy. With varying speeds and beats the song selection in this game is unique and features some longer than normal tunes for this genre. Much like the gameplay though, these tracks will probably appeal to veterans of dance games more than they will to newbies.
Conclusion:
In the Groove is a nice change of pace from DDR and features some nice additions to the genre and a ton of customization depending on your level of experience. I have played DDR before, but not to any great extent that I’d consider myself an expert, so some of the action that In the Groove offers was a little more than I could handle at times. The different modes had a nice change of pace compared to the regular mode, but in the end the gameplay is roughly the same throughout.
Some bland visuals don’t do the gameplay justice and while there are a ton of songs to pick from, they are mostly techno beats and nothing you’ll recognize. In the Groove is obviously designed at gamers that have played DDR and are looking for a different, more involved experience. Anyone looking to get into the genre may want to look elsewhere, but this game does offer a decent learning curve and the ability to greatly adjust difficulty.
This game is available in two different forms. One features just the game package, but if you don’t have a dance pad controller you can invest in the combo pack for about $30 more. The In the Groove dance pad is a lighter version of other pads, but features comparable functionality and value.